An application for a rock quarry in North Clark County across the Lewis River from Woodland has city staff concerned about how mining operations would affect residents.
During a Dec. 5 Woodland City Council meeting, Community Development Director Travis Goddard presented information about a change to Clark County land use planning that would allow for surface mining on property near the city. If the application is approved by the county it would place an overlay on about 46 acres on a western half of a parcel near Cardai Hill Road on land currently zoned as forest resources.
The property was bought by Cardai Hill Rock Quarry LLC in 2000, according to geographic information systems data. Goddard noted there is an existing 40-acre parcel to the southeast of the area identified in the application that has the same overlay but is not currently being used for a quarry.
During the meeting, Goddard touched on a number of issues staff had with the potential for a quarry at the location. He said the site is barely 1,500 feet from Woodland city limits and the sound would affect some 1,400 homes in the city.
“I think we should be calling this the ‘Woodland amphitheater pit’ because they are going to be excavating the site in such a shape that … as the sound comes out of that pit, it will be bouncing directly toward the city of Woodland,” Goddard said.
He also touched on traffic impacts the mine would have. Goddard anticipates an operational mine would further affect the already strained Exit 21 interchange of Interstate 5.
“All those trucks are going to be coming through Exit 21,” Goddard said.
Goddard said Clark County did not look at traffic impacts at this point because they argued it was a “non-project” change to zoning. Any impacts would be addressed if an application for a quarry is received.
Goddard said the movement to place the surface mining overlay makes it an inevitability that a quarry application will soon follow.
“It’s not like this is a mixed use commercial development site or a transit-oriented overlay where you never know what you’re going to get because the building could have multiple uses in it,” Goddard said. “They’re asking for a surface mining overlay. There is no outcome from this proposal that is not a surface mine.”
The area subject to the overlay is estimated to have 3.5 to 4.9 million cubic yards of aggregate, according to the environmental review checklist for the application.
Mayor Will Finn mentioned the days of operation of a mine are unknown.
“It could be seven days a week,” Finn said.
Goddard said after the recommendation of the Clark County Planning Commission, it will be time for the Woodland City Council to make a resolution opposing the overlay. After its time with the planning commission, the application will go before the Clark County Council for final approval or denial.
Though the commission can vote in opposition to the overlay, a previous denial by them didn’t stop the county council from approving the placement in a similar decision. Four years ago, the county council voted to approve the expansion of an overlay on the Yacolt Mountain Mine in the eastern part of the county after the commission voted to deny the application.
By the time the application reaches the county council, it is unlikely any members of the council from 2018 will be seatholders. Only councilor Julie Olson was on the council at that time, and next year, she will be replaced by incoming councilor Michelle Belkot.
The Clark County Planning Commission will have a hearing on the application for the Cardai Hill Rock Quarry surface mining overlay at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 15.
More information on the meeting is available online at clark.wa.gov/community-planning/planning-commission-hear ings-and-meeting-notes.
